Wayne Kramer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wayne Kramer
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Kramer in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wayne Kambes |
| Born | April 30, 1948 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2024 (aged 75) |
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| Years active | 1964–2024 |
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Wayne Kramer (né Kambes; April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and film and television composer.
Kramer came to prominence as a teenager in 1967 as a co-founder of the Detroit rock group MC5, a group known for their powerful live performances and radical left-wing political stand. When the MC5 broke up, Kramer began a solo career in the 1990s.
Rolling Stone ranked him among the "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time".
Contents
Career
With MC5
In 1967, the MC5 were designated “House Band” at Detroit's famous Grande Ballroom and were managed by John Sinclair, a radical left-wing writer and co-founder of the White Panther Party, until 1969 when Sinclair was sentenced to nine and a half years in the Michigan Department of Corrections for giving two joints to an undercover police woman. Sinclair became a mentor to then 20 year old Kramer and introduced him to the world of free jazz, poetry, and progressive political awareness. They remained close friends.
The MC5 recorded three major label albums including 1969’s Kick Out The Jams on Elektra records. 1971’s Back in the USA and 1972’s High Time both for Atlantic Records. The MC5 toured the USA extensively and ultimately faced insurmountable challenges both from being banned from the radio and government police agencies for their militant political stance. Unable to tour or sell records and after a last-ditch effort by Ronan O'Rahilly that included a move to London, England, by 1972, the original group disbanded.
Post MC5
In 1979, Kramer began touring as a solo artist leading a succession of working trios, quartets, and larger groups. He joined Was (Not Was) as their first studio and touring guitarist. Kramer plays on the album Was (Not Was) and the hit single "Wheel Me Out," 1983's Born to Laugh at Tornadoes, and returns again on their 2008 release Boo on Ryko Records. Kramer also performed on Don Was's Orquestra Was.
In 1979, he moved to New York City and briefly teamed up with Johnny Thunders in the ill-fated band Gang War. He also played with and produced bands on the lower east side of Manhattan such as; Marc Johnson and the Wild Alligators, The Cooties, The Rousers, The Terrorists (which included JoJo Hermann on keyboards), The Boyfriends, Fats Deacon and the Dumbwaiters (featuring Bobby “Slacks” Brunswick of Dungaree Dogs NYC), GG Allin, Mark Truth and the Liars, and Viva LaRue and others, as well as working as a free-lance studio guitarist. In New York,In the late 1980’s Kramer co-wrote with Mick Farren, the R&B musical, The Last Words of Dutch Schultz, and performed it regularly at Tramps, The Pyramid Club, and other NY clubs.
Kramer also spent much of the 1980s working as a carpenter in the city, for “Mattiello of Manhattan”.
In 1988, Kramer relocated to Key West, Florida. and worked in local musical groups on the island and continued woodworking and building custom homes in the Keys.
In 1990, Kramer moved again to Nashville, Tennessee. He continued to do custom woodwork, played sessions, produced local rock bands, and played bass with Henry Gross.
Kramer with Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis, and Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson temporarily reunited in Detroit in 1991 for a memorial and fund-raising concert for the family of lead singer Rob Tyner.
Solo career & production
In 1994, Kramer, now residing in Los Angeles, signed to Brett Gurewitz's punk rock label Epitaph Records and began a chapter of his solo career. He released four records, including 1995's self-produced The Hard Stuff, which features the band Claw Hammer on most songs, along with appearances from members of The Melvins and The Vandals. In 1996 he released Dangerous Madness. In 1997, he released Citizen Wayne, co-produced by David Was. He also played on the song "Incomplete" off of Bad Religion's 1994 album Stranger Than Fiction.'In 1998, he played with Pere Ubu. In 1999, he released the live record LLMF.
In 2000, Brother Wayne released ... Blues, an album collecting some studio recordings from the 1970s and four tracks recorded live with The Pink Fairies at Dingwalls in London in 1978.
In 2001, Kramer and his wife and manager Margaret Saadi Kramer launched MuscleTone Records, an independent label. MuscleTone and Levi's Clothing partnered to produce a live performance featuring the MC5's surviving members (Fred Smith died in 1994) and guests Ian Astbury (The Cult), Dave Vanian (The Damned) and Lemmy (Motörhead), which they filmed at London's 100 Club for Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. The event generated worldwide press coverage and prompted a world tour. The tour spanned several years.
Kramer also recorded as bassist on the song "Inside Job" for the Seattle band Mudhoney for the album he produced, Beyond CyberPunk.
Kramer's 2004 free jazz album "Lexington" went to #6 on Billboard's Top Jazz Charts.
Later years
In May 2018, Kramer announced the MC50 tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Kick Out the Jams", with a line-up including himself, plus Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden, Brendan Canty of Fugazi, and Doug Pinnick of King's X, as well as Don Was. Pinnick was eventually replaced by Faith No More bassist Billy Gould. Vocalist/Harmonicist Marcus Durant of Zen Guerrilla completed the line-up.
His first memoir came out the same year.
In 2020, Kramer, Jason Heath and Luke Morrison built the CAPO (Community Arts Programming and Outreach) Center in Los Angeles as a full-service youth center, recording studio, learning laboratory and performance space for justice system-impacted young people.
In 2021, Kramer contributed to the Alice Cooper album, Detroit Stories. He played guitar and supplied backing vocals on the majority of the record, also with numerous song writing credits. The album was a worldwide hit, reaching #1 in Germany, #4 in the UK, and #1 in Billboard's top sales chart as well as many countries around the world.
In March 2022, Kramer declared “I’ve been thinking it’s been a long time since there’s been any new MC5 music... I’ve been busy writing and recording a new album produced by the great Bob Ezrin. And we’ll take it to the streets ‘cause I feel like we are all MC5.”
Death and tributes
Kramer died of pancreatic cancer on February 2, 2024, at the age of 75.
Composer
Kramer's song "Stranger in the House" was featured on the May 16, 1997, Season 1 finale of Millennium, titled "Paper Dove".
Highlights from his scoring work can be heard in the Will Ferrell comedies Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Step Brothers. Kramer's solo track "Edge of the Switchblade" runs at the beginning of the end credits of the former.
Kramer also composes music for television, including themes for Fox Sports Network's 5-4-3-2-1, Spotlight, In My Own Words and Under the Lights; and E!'s Emmy-nominated series Split Ends as well as the "Unlabeled" Jim Beam commercial.
He scored for the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down, starring Danny McBride and executive produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, which premiered in February 2009.
Credits
- CREEM: America's Only Rock & Roll Magazine (2019), "Composer", Director: Scott Crawford, Producers: J.J. Kramer, Jaan Uhelszki
- Shut It Down (2021),"Composer", Director: David Zeiger, Producers: Displaced Films
- Being Evel (2015), “Additional Music By”, Director: Daniel Junge (Jungefilm), Producer: Jeff Tremaine (Dickhouse Productions)
- Algren: Prophet of the Neon Wilderness (2014) “Composer”, Director: Michael Caplan, Producer: Nicole Bernardi-Reis (Montrose Pictures)
- Concrete Blondes (2013), "Composer", Sacred Bull Productions/Showtime Networks
- Fully Loaded (2011), “Additional Music By”, Director: Shira Piven/Starz
- Salem Rogers (2015), Lindsey Stoddart (Creator/Writer) Pilot w/Leslie Bibb, Rachel Dratch – Amazon Studios
- Why Not? With Shania Twain (2011), Series Season 1 – (All Episodes)
- Oprah Winfrey (OWN) Networks / Gay Rosenthal
- Sonic Revolution (2005), “Mail Title Theme” & “Musical Director”, Channel 4 (UK)
- CBGB (2013), "Music Producer", “Because the Night” (The Single) Distributors: Xlrator Media
- The Big Short (2016), “Guitars”, Director: Adam McKay
- Russian Five (2018), “Composer”, Director: Joshua Riehl, Producers: Jason Wehling, Steve Bannatyne, Jenny Feterovich
- Welcome to Me (2015), “Alice’s Title Theme” & “Additional Music By”, Director: Shira Piven, Producers: Gary Sanchez (Kristen Wiig, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell)
- Hell & Back (2015), “Original Songs” & “Additional Music By”, Directors: Tom Gianas & Ross Shuman, Producers: Corey Campodonico, Alex Bulkley (ShadowMachine)
- House of A Lifetime: Richard Lewis (2014) “Composer”, Director: Charley Rivkin / MVD Distributors
- Let Fury Have the Hour (2012) “Composer” Antonino D’Ambrosio
- The Story of Van’s (1Q-2016), Television Commercial Composer “Van’s Turns 50” – International TV Campaign
- Bad Judge (2014-2015), Series w/Kate Walsh (Star & Exec. Producer) Season 1 – (All Episodes), Director: Betsy Thomas
- Kell On Earth (2009-2010), “Co-Composer”, (Various Episodes) - E! Entertainment
- South of Nowhere (2007), Series Additional Score: Nickelodeon Networks
- C.O.G. (2013), “Contributing Score Mixer” & “Music Recordist” Rhino Films / David Sedaris Adaptation
- Guitar Hero World Tour (2009) – Activision
Selected discography
With the MC5
- Kick Out the Jams (1969)
- Back in the USA (1970)
- High Time (1971)
Solo albums
- Death Tongue (1991) Curio
- The Hard Stuff (1995) Epitaph Records
- Dangerous Madness (1996) Epitaph Records
- Citizen Wayne (1997) Epitaph Records
- Adult World (2002) MuscleTone
Live albums
- LLMF (1998) Epitaph Records
Other albums
- Gang War (1990) - Gang War (with Johnny Thunders) [Sonic]
- Dodge Main (1996) - Dodge Main [Alive]
- Mad For The Racket (2000) - The Racketeers [MuscleTone]
Diesel Motor Records Reissues
- The Hard Stuff + (2004)
- More Dangerous Madness (2004)
- The Return of Citizen Wayne (2004)
See also
In Spanish: Wayne Kramer para niños
